Alarm-valve.



R. GRINNELLQ ALARM VALVE. APPLIUA TION FILEDJAN. 16, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

VWTNESEEE INVENTDR ATTURNEY ANDREW, a GRAHAM 00,, PRDTO-LIT;1OGRAPMERS. wAsnme'mN. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnio.

RUSSELL GRINNELL, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, Assrenon 'IO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

, ALARM-VALVE.

Specification of Letters I Patent. Patgnijed Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,535.

use in connection with automatic sprinkler systems, and which are deslgned to cause an alarm to be sounded when one or more of the sprinklers in the system is opened.

In a pending application of J. C. Meloon, Serial No. 410,536, a new form of alarm valve is shown and described, the characteristic feature of which is that the valvedoes not require to be tightly seated against a valveseat, as was the case with previous alarm valves, but is instead in the form of a pistonvalve. In the arrangements shown in said application a secondary valve is employed;

to control the flow of fluid from the supplypipe through the pipe leading-to the alarm mechanism, and a stufiing boX is required to be employed through which the valvestem of the alarm-valve extends to operate stead of being located in the pipe 10, is losaid second valve.

The use of a stufiing box 1n an automatic sprinkler system is attended with certainobjections, and the object of the present invention is to provide an alarm'valve of the general character of that. which forms the subject of the application referred to, but

in which the use of a stufling box is avoided. I To that end the lnvention consists pr1-; marily 1n so locating the secondary valve referred to that the valve-stem of the alarmvalve does not require to extend through a stuffing box in order to reach said secondary valve and operate the same.

The invention further consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. 1

Referring to the drawings, the figure is an elevation, partly in section, of an alarm valve embodying the invention and showing the pipe connections therewith.

1 represents a pipe leading from a suitable source of supply and 2 the'pipe leading to the automatic sprinkler-system; These pipes 1 and 2 are arranged out ofline with each other, as shown. The upper end of the pipe 1 is provided with a cross 3, and the lower end of the pipe 2 is provided with a T-piece 4:. The cross 3 and T-piece 4 are connected by a nipple or cylinder 5, which constitutes a valve-chamber 6. The third opening of the cross 3 is closed by a plug 3 and the fourth opening is closed by a plug 3 while the third opening in the T-piece is closed by a plug P.

I In the chamber 6 is a piston-valve 7, which constitutes the alarm-valve proper. This valve 7 is a loosely fitting valve, and so that the water or other fluid in the pipes 1 and 2 may flow past said piston in one direction or the other, whereby whenever any varia tion of pressure occurs the pressure will be equalized on both sides of said valve. The piston-valve 7 is provided with a valvesleeve 8.

The-plug 3 is provided with a tapped opening 9 andthe pipe 10, which leads to the alarm-device, such as a water-motor, a whistle, the switch of an electric alarm or other alarm mechanism (not shown), instead of leading directly from the supply-pipe, is connectedwith this opening 9 in the plug 3*. The secondary valve 11 for controlling the flow .ofwater or other fluid through the pipe 10 foroperating the alarm mechanism, in-

cated within the cross 3 or within the plug 3, and so that said valve seats against the end of said pipe as shown. The secondary valve 11' thus controls the entrance of the water or other fluid from the supply-pipe into said pipe 10,-andnormally excludes the water or other fluid therefrom.

The secondary valve 11, which may be provided with guides 11*, has a valve-stem 12 which is connected to the valve-stem 8 of the alarm-valve 7 for operating said secondary valve. In order to prevent false alarms when the piston-valve 7 is moved guides. for the piston-valve 7.

yoke 18, and the other on the opposite side of said cross-piece. lVith this construction the alarm-valve 7 may move within certain limits without moving the secondary valve 11, and the extent of such movement of the valve 7 may be regulated by adjusting the position of the nuts 14 on the valve-stem 8. The first dotted'line position of the valve 7 indicates the position to which the valve may move without opening the valve 11 when the nuts are adjusted as shown.

F or the purpose of limiting the movement .of the alarm-valve 7 when operated for the purpose of sounding the alarm, said valve is provided with a valve-stem 15 extending from the opposite side of said valve, the end of which valve-stem is adapted to come in contact with the plug 4*, as indicated by the second dotted line position of the valve. The end of the nipple or cylinder 5 extends into the T-piece 1 and is cut away to form ports or openings 16, shown in the drawings as four in number, and leaving intervening portions '17, which constitute This construction, while providing ports or passages for the flow of the water or other fluid, serves to guide the piston-valve in its movement, and with the guides 17 of sufiicient length to retain control of said valve when moved to its extreme position, as shown, the resetting of the valve will be facilitated.

The operation of the arrangement above described is as follows: As the piston-valve 7 is a loosely fitting valve, the water or other fluid in the pipes 1 and 2 may fiow past said valve in either direction, and so that whenever any variation of pressure occurs the pressure will be equalized on both sides of said valve. Moreover with the construction shown the valve 7, being a piston-valve, is free to move in the valve-chamber 6 in either direction, and if any sudden increase of pressure occurs, as by water-hammer or otherwise, and which cannot be equalized by a flow of water past the valve 7, said valve may itself move in the valve-chamber until the pressure on both sides of the valve has been again equalized. By reason of the lost motion provided in the connection betweenthe valve-stem 8 and the valve-stem 12, any movements of the piston-valve 7 within the limits provided for by such lost motion will not be accompanied by any opening of the secondary valve 11, which will remain closed by the fluid-pressure acting thereon, and thus false alarms will be prevented.

When new one or more of the sprinklers connected to the pipe 2 or to branches leading therefrom opens, the reduction of pressure in said pipe 2 and the flow of water or other fluid thcrebv produced will first cause the valve 7 to be moved from the position shown in full lines to the position indicated by dotted lines, and such movement ofthe valve 7 and its valve-stem S will serve to take up the lost motion between said. valve-stem S and the valve-stem 12. Further movement of said valve 7 will then by the engagement of the nut let with the cross-bar of the yoke 13, serve to move the valve 11 away from its seat and thereby permit the water or other fluidto flow into and through the pipe 10 to operate whatever alarm device may be connected with said pipe 10. Such further movement of the valve 7 will also serve to open the ports 16.

TVith the arrangement above described, and with the valve 11 located in the T-piece 3, and thus in the main fluid-passage, the employment of a stufiing box is avoided, said valve being in a position where it can be directly reached and engaged by the valve-stem of the alarm valve within the fluid-passage.

It will be further seen that, with the secondary valve thus located in the main fluidpassage, the pipe which leads to the alarmmechanism may be connected with said fluidpassage at a point where said secondary valve will serve to close the entrance to said pipe and so that said valve will be normally held closed by the fluid-pressure acting on said valve, thereby avoiding the use of a spring-actuated valve in said pipe.

VVhilethe alarm-valve arrangement above described is especially adapted for use in connection with automatic sprinkler systems, said arrangement may be employed in connection with other fluid-pressure systems where it is desired to sound an alarm when the pressure is reduced below a predetermined point.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct uid pressure to operate an alarm, a nonseating valve in said fluid-pressure pipe, and a valve controlling the entrance to said alarm operating pipe.

2. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct fluid-pressure to operate an alarm, a nonseating valve in said fiuidpressure pipe, and a valve controlling the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe and adapted to be operated by said non-seating valve.

8. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct fluid-pressure to operate an alarm, a nonseating valve in said fluid-pressure pipe, a valve controlling the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and means for operating said valve by said non seating valve.

4. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct fluid-pressure to operate an alarm, a nonseating valve in said fluid-pressure pipe, a valve controlling the entrance to said alarmlit) operating pipe, and means embodying lost motion for operating said valve by said nonseating valve.

5. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct fluid-pressure to operate an alarm, a non seating piston-valve in said fluid-pressure pipe, a secondary valve controlling the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and means for operating said secondary valve by said piston-valve.

6. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to conduct fluid-pressure to operate an alarm, a nonseating piston-valve in said fluid-pressure pipe, a secondary valve controlling the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and means embodying lost motion for operating said secondary valve by said piston-valve.

7. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a valve-chamber therein, a non-seat ing valve in said chamber, a pipe leading from said chamber to operate an alarm, a secondary valve in said chamber adapted to control the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and a connection between said valves.

8. The combination, with a fluid-pressure pipe, of a valve-chamber therein, a non-seating valve in said chamber, a pipe leading from said chamber to operate an alarm, a secondary valve in said chamber adapted to control the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and a connection embodying lost motion between said valves.

9. The combination of a fluid-pressure pipe formed in two sections offset to each other, a connection between said sections forming a valve-chamber, a non-seating valve in said chamber, a pipe leading from said chamber to operate an alarm, a secondary valve in said chamber adapted to control the entrance to said alarm-operating pipe, and a connection between said valves.

RUSSELL GRIN NELL.

Htnesses W. H. THURSTON, J. H. THURSTON. 

